Southern European welfare states and homelessness: Portugal and Greece

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare homelessness policies in Portugal and Greece. Design/methodology/approach After a brief overview of the relationship between welfare regimes and homelessness, the characteristics of homelessness policies within the South-European regime are studied. Subsequently, by employing empirical data, a comparison between the homelessness policies of these two countries is attempted through three axes of analysis: the historical emergence of homelessness policies; the impact of the memoranda, as a series of fiscal measures associated with welfare retrenchment, on the deterioration of homelessness; and the characteristics of the social policies being developed. Findings It is noted that the two countries consolidate a residual social intervention model that fails to address homelessness adequately. Originality/value This is the first attempt to compare homelessness policies between Portugal and Greece.